Long Live the Queen! An Unforgettable Voyage on the Queen Mary 2

I have been waiting to try Cunard's Queen Mary 2 for more than 6 years now, ever since I was a wet behind the ears, newly minted travel agent.  I had heard the stories, knew the history, and started booking Cunard from the get go.  Well, this year, I finally got the chance, as I had passed Cunard's Commodore Training program and earned my Graduation Cruise.  Now, you have a choice of the 3 Queens of the fleet, but I wanted the Flagship, the Queen Mary 2, on the route the Queens made famous for centuries...the Transatlantic crossing between New York and Southampton, UK.

It all started during the Orthodox Easter week of 2016.  A bet was made with several coworkers that I could finish of the entire Cunard Commodore training in 3 days.  Not one to back down from a challenge, I accepted, and off I went, cramming my brain with everything Cunard had to offer and knocking down one level after another until late Sunday afternoon I had achieved my Commodore Status with a 98% passing grade.  Score!  I won my bet, and made plans to take the entire family with me across the pond later this November, for their 38th anniversary.  Pre- and Post- Cruise stays and airfare taken care of, my parents cabin upgraded to a Club Balcony Stateroom, and mine and my daughter's cabin paid for, and we were set.

Waking up in New York on November 12 (after an amazing eventful night on the town) we were filled with excitement and anticipation as our ride took us from the Waldorf Astoria in Midtown down across the Brooklyn Bridge and around to the cruise terminal.  Even before we got out of the ride the Cunard porters had already unloaded all our luggage and had them ready for check-in.

At the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Cunard check-in is a snap, especially if you have a group that need wheelchair assistance, and/or are one of the higher Status World Club Members such as Platinum or Diamond Tier, you can take advantage of the expedited check-in and World Club Elite Lounge before boarding.  Because both of my parents were in wheelchairs and I am a Platinum Tier World Club member (Thank you Cunard Agent Training!), we were sent over to the World Club Elite Lounge, then on up to the Queen Mary 2.

Once on deck, you get a purely British welcome aboard and there are quite a few porters there to help you find your stateroom, and as we were taking Mom and Dad up to their stateroom first, we got a good look around at the Foyer and all the high end shops, and had our Embarkation photo taken (available for purchase from the photo shop during the cruise) while our luggage was delivered to either stateroom.  From the rotunda of shops you are taken to Stairwell B, the 2nd main elevator bank on the ship, and on up to Deck 12, where we were sent down the hallway to Stairwell A, the only elevator bank with access to the Club Balcony staterooms on Deck 13.

The Club Balcony staterooms on Deck 13 are nicely laid out and spacious, as far as cruise ship staterooms go.  Just a bit larger in square footage than the regular Balcony and Sheltered Balcony staterooms, it comes with an updated bathroom, glass-fronted balcony, and a slightly larger and more plush sitting area.  Deck 13 is the highest stateroom level on the ship, and you would think being that high up and that far forward from the ships center of gravity, you'd be rocking back and forth the whole time.  Not so much on the Queen Mary 2. She was designed as a higher speed ocean liner versus the regular cruise ships elsewhere, so no matter where you are on her, you're going to be rock steady, unless you're in a storm, of course, but that goes without saying.

Leaving the folks to relax, unwind and unpack, me and the Teenager headed on down to Deck 6 to our stateroom.  Our room was in the aft-middle of the ship, and a heck of a long hike from Stairwell A (our stateroom was two doors down from the entry to stairwell C, the third main elevator bank onboard).  Long trek aside, our stateroom was another Cunard-Only design, the Sheltered Balcony.  What's interesting about these cabins is that they are balconies that have been "punched out" of the ship's hull below the deck line, allowing for a huge increase in total balconies available.  The balcony is the same size as the normal balconies above, but it is not as exposed to the elements with the hull surrounding it, giving a massive open air "window" to the sea.

With our luggage unpacked and stowed, we met up with the folks in the Kings Court buffet, up one level on Deck 7.  In the hustle and bustle of checking out of the Waldorf Astoria, to checking in and getting onboard, somehow we forgot to eat a single thing, and we knew we couldn't hold out until our reservation at the Smokehouse.  So, snack time it was, and having killed the hunger pangs sufficiently, the Teen and I went exploring.

We managed to cover Decks 2 (Cunard Connexions Internet and communication center, the Royal Court Theatre, Casino, Purser's Office, the Photo Gallery, Golden Lion Pub, and the lower level of the Britannia Restaurant), Deck 3 (Illuminations Planetarium, the upper level of the Royal Court Theatre, the galleria of shops, upper portion of the Grand Lobby, the Duty Free shop, Veuve Cliquot Champagne Bar, the Chart Room, Sir Samuel's Coffee Bar,  the Upper Level of the Britannia Restaurant, the Queen's Room, the Art Gallery, and the G32 night club), and Deck 8 (the well-stocked Library and Bookshop,  the Beauty Salon, the Verandah Restaurant, and the outdoor Terrace Pool).  Having explored a bit, we hustled back to the stateroom and changed for the folks' Anniversary Dinner.

On any given Trans-Atlantic crossing there are 3 formal nights, where ladies are in elegant gowns or fine dresses and the Gents in tuxes or dark suits with ties frolic the night away.  The first night out of port is an informal night, as it should be, as passengers are unwinding from the hustle and bustle of embarkation.  For someone like me, I relish and look forward to formal nights. Dressing up to the nines and looking like an overfed and underpowered James Bond is my forte!  During formal nights there are balls and dances to go to, and cocktail receptions to sip champagne at, and even a Captain's night for the upper Tier World Club members and Club and Suite level passengers to hobnob with the Senior Staff and get their photo taken with Captain Wells.

On the typical Trans-Atlantic sojourn, you have a wealth of activities to do and places to see to while the time away.  Our favorite places were the board game tables on Deck 3 on either side of the Royal Court Theatre, the Library, both stateroom balconies (believe it or not, it was not that cold for being early November), and the Golden Lion Pub.  The Carinthia Lounge is also a great place to relax, and have a sip of wine and some very fine canapes.  There's also the plethora of shopping choices and the casino as well.

Disembarking in Southampton was quick and painless, especially since we had early disembarkation due to the Platinum Tier status and wheelchair assistance.  The gangway in Southampton was smaller than the one in New York, and less steep, which made the descent to dry land easier.  Since we had already cleared UK Customs onboard during the voyage across the pond, all we had to do was pick up our luggage and find our driver for the 2 hour journey to London.  Luckily, he was already there waiting for us, and within 10 minutes of disembarking, we were cruising up the M3 to the 2nd greatest city on Earth.

The week onboard the Queen Mary 2 was one of the most sensational , relaxing, and uplifting travel experiences I've had yet, and even though I'm not much of a Cruise fanatic, I would gladly board the Queen again, hopefully I'll get my chance to travel on all 3 of the Cunard Queens.

Unforgettably Manhattan: An Evening at the Waldorf Astoria

There are some hotels that have built up a reputation over the years for being luxurious, yet pretentious.  Over the decades, they end up resting on their laurels and let the bookings come in based on those original accolades, and they never try to keep themselves a step ahead of the pack.  You try to get away with that in the dog-eat-dog environment of New York City, Manhattan in particular, you're dead meat.  The Waldorf Astoria, that historic bastion of unrivaled luxury and service known the world over, has not let itself fall behind, even with an island full of newcomers.

The present building, at 301 Park Avenue, has become an iconic fixture of the Park Avenue scene, and is internationally known for its lavish dinner parties and galas, often being the center of the political and entertainment universes and their various fundraising schemes.  The hotel was opened in 1931, and was the world's tallest hotel until 1963.  The Hilton Hotels bought the property in 1972, having managed it since 1949.

My stay at the Waldorf Astoria blew my mind.  I have stayed over in New York City many times, but never at the Waldorf.  I was excited, at the very least, and I had my family in tow with me, so this was going to be an adventure of sorts.  Originally we were supposed to stay at another luxury hotel down on 5th Avenue, but the rates for the night we were in town were far too extortionate, so I found a better room for a far better rate at the Waldorf, so I decided, what the hell, let's go for it.  I sell it on a weekly basis as a Travel Agent, so I might as well try it out.

We arrived into New York/JFK International Airport around 4PM, and our driver met us in the baggage claim and we were on our way up the Van Wyck Expressway no more than 25 minutes after landing.  The driver however, took his time and since he was following a GPS, took a seriously long way into the city (we crossed the East River at the RFK Bridge), aggravating us further, and forcing us to change our dinner reservations at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse for a later time (almost two hours later)! No tip for him.

Upon arrival at the hotel the bellman, not the driver helped us out of the car and rapidly got our luggage taken care of so we can check in unburdened.  The ride up to the lobby was not bad, but once we got out of the elevator, we felt slightly under dressed as there were a LOT of people dressed to the nines.  Expensive furs, diamonds, and tuxes with tails were on full display and champagne was flowing freely.  I sat my brood down while I checked us in.  Helen, the front desk agent, told me not to sweat, there was a massive fundraiser going on that night, and the upper class of Manhattan were strictly there for show.  She handed me the keys to the room and directed me to the proper elevator bank up to our floor.

Our luggage was waiting in the foyer of the room when we got up there, and we settled in to unwind for a second and get ready for dinner.  The luggage was in the foyer, Mom checked out the bathroom (which was stocked with awesome Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries) and the bedroom, with its two king beds, while Susie, Dad and I plopped down in living room area, waiting for Mom to finish up.  While she was getting ready, the housekeeper came up and asked if our room was to our satisfaction and when would we be ready for our turn down service?  We told her we are on our way out in about 15 minutes and turn down would be greatly appreciated, as well as a 2nd scrub down of the bathroom, not to mention fixing up the sofa bed for Susie (which was her favorite part).  Off we were for dinner, with a cab waiting for us.

Returning back to the hotel after that amazing dinner we found the room had been turned down and Susie's bed was ready, and the bathroom had also been scrubbed again.  Our room was the Junior Suite, with 2 King Beds and a separate living area, with a total square footage of somewhere between 450 and 600 Square Feet (ours was right in the middle around 525 sq. feet).  The bathrooms were marble and granite and the Waldorf Serenity beds was one of the most comfortable beds I have slept on in a long, long time.  I didn't even need my CPAP machine that night it was so comfortable and good for me.  We all slept soundly and woke up refreshed and ready for our trek to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

The Opinion of this Travel Agent:  If you have only one night in the New York area, and would like to live in opulence for a decent rate without breaking the bank, give the iconic Waldorf Astoria a try.  You'll never regret it, I guarantee it.  But you better hurry, the hotel closes in 2017 for three years for renovations to the structure.

An Open Smile on a Friendly Shore: Diary Entries from the Ruby Princess

September 19, 2016


Started the morning out tying up all loose ends around the house, then I was on my way.  Picked up Bob from the office at 8:00AM, dropped my oldest off at school, and we were on our way.

Traffic was stacked up on the freeway in Davis County, as usual, but a crash further slowed things down, but once past the wreck, the freeway cleared and the driving masses were getting underway again.

We got to the airport at 9 o'clock on the dot, printed our boarding passes and headed upstairs to TSA screening.  Having TSA precheck was supposed to make us go through a lot faster and easier, and I did, but Bob had to be escorted back out and forced to dump the contents of his water bottle and throw away his hair spray.  He finally made it through no sweat on the 2nd try.

Luckily, we made it early enough that we only hung around the boarding area for a little over an hour before boarding was called.  Thanks to my bum knee, the sweet ex-Western gate agent let us preboard and we were one of the very first onboard, so, off we go, and folded ourselves into the not so tall CRJ-900 cabin.  Settling in and watching the rest of the 73 passengers duck their way on, we eventually took a 5 minute delay due to slow boarding and paperwork, but once off the gate we hurried on out to runway 16R and off into the wild blue yonder.

The flight was uneventful, although we did fly over some seriously gorgeous scenery on a route that was first pioneered by Western Airlines in 1975.  The CRJ-900 is definitely a FAR cry from the 727's and 737's that used to fly the route (all the way up to 2004), but for the 2 hour flight it is, the RJ works.

Once on the ground, we hauled ourselves down the long and lonely corridor to Canadian Customs and Immigration.  Swipe the passport at the kiosk, take the declaration printout to the counter, stamp the passport (which we didn't get!!), and off to baggage claim and find our bags among the myriads of foreigners entering Vancouver (we came in around the same time as one of the Korean Air, Norwegian, Icleandair and Trans-Pacific Air Canada flights came in, so customs was packed).  Luckily, upon exiting the sterile area, our chauffeur was there and we were on the road in less than two minutes, and on our way to the Canada World Cruiseport.  Good thing I had the foresight to book a private driver, if he hadn't, with our delays, we would've missed the boat.

Offloading our bags and schlepping them through the Cruise Terminal, then through the first round of security and up into a massive, cavernous room that separated the cruising masses into smaller, more manageable boarding groups, Bob and I had a slight wait (no more than 20 minutes), then through what seemed like endless miles of cordoned off pathways, we made it to the check in line, and with our preferred check in status (one of the many benefits AAA members get when they book their cruise through us), we were on the Ruby Princess in 5 minutes, and up in our stateroom in less than 10, with my bags waiting.

Onboard the Ruby Princess


The Ruby Princess is one of 3 Grand-Class ships operated by Princess.  Built between 2007 and 2008, the Ruby was christened by Ryan and Trista Sutter, of The Bachelorette, and her maiden voyage took place on November 8, 2008.  She has room for 3,080 passengers and 1,200 crew.  For the remainder of 2016 she can be found in the waters between Alaska and the Mexican Riviera, before entering drydock for a refit on December 10.

Our cabin was A735, on Deck 12, the Aloha Deck.  It's a typical Balcony Stateroom, around 231 square feet, and nicely laid out for its size.  The balcony adds an additional 45 square feet, and seats 2, somewhat comfortably.  Upon entering the stateroom, we found welcome notes from Princess and AAA, thanking us for joining the Familiarization (FAM) trip, along with an invitation to the Boticelli Dining Room for the first Group Dinner, along with an invite before hand for drinks and mingling in the Adagio Lounge, where we met the majority of our FAM trip cohorts from AAA and from the Signature Travel Network, my previous consortia.

The dinner was amazing, and Princess' hostess for the FAM had the foresight to seat me and Bob at a table for 4 with one of the agents from the Vancouver, WA office and one of Signature's highest netting Luxury Agents, whom I met last year at the Luxury Travel Expo in Las Vegas.  As I said, the meal was superb, but it wiped us out, so we just headed back to the cabin and passed out.



September 20, 2016


Bob woke up before I did, but we managed to get a little bit of breakfast on the Lido Deck buffet well before our first onboard seminar at 8:30.

Today's presentation was on Princess Cruises and their more focused and increased sailings to Alaska for the 2017 and 2018 sailings.  They went over and explained the 4 ships that will be devoted to Alaska for the Spring (including the Ruby Princess), as well as an overview of the rail and land excursions available only to Princess passengers.  During the last 15 minutes or so, the crowd was whittled down to just the AAA agents and a brief overview of the additional benefits of booking our members through a AAA Vacations or Sojourns Cruise went on.  Good stuff, and plenty of info for me to digest and explain to our members when they call in for their next cruise.

We were on our own after the seminar and I spent Day 2 at Sea getting a tour of several different category staterooms, and a very cool and informative sit down with the Captain's Circle Hostess, going over the different levels of the Captain's Circle (think along the lines of Elite Status with the legacy airlines).

Stopped by the stateroom to relax for a bit and found invitations to dinner for us in the alternative dining restaurant, Share by Curtis Stone, along with one for dinner the following night at the Crown Grill Steakhouse down on the Promenade.

Share by Curtis Stone  is an intimate little corner of Deck 16, the Sun Deck.  It recently launched during the Ruby Princess' last drydock and has been wowing cruisers on each sailing, oh, and it's only available on the Ruby and Emerald Princesses, for now.

The Cover Charge is $39 per person, but is well worth every last, red penny, and it just happens to be open only for dinner.  The whole point to Share, according to Curtis Stone is to "amplify that feeling of just being together and sharing everything with one another and asking "what are you going to choose? 'Cause if you choose that, then I'll pick this and try yours as well."  In this overfed Travel Agents opinion, they have this down to an art form.

There are 5 reasons why you should pick Share at least on one night during your cruise, that'll be worth the splurge:

1 - You won't find food like this ANYWHERE else on the ship
      Before Share, the Ruby Princess only had the buffet and the Steakhouse, with the normal, average run of the mill offerings.  Share has changed the typical cruisers mindset.

2 - It's perfect for large groups...or couples
      The space is somewhat large, very open and airy, with long farmhouse style tables and well appointed booths tucked away in dimly lit corners, adding a slightly romantic touch to the evening.

3 - The ambiance is upscale...but not stuffy
      Share's upscale rustic decor and family style dining allow you to dress your best and still feel relaxed.  Imagined lighting, and eclectic wall art blend with wanderlust-inspired trinkets, a nod to Curtis Stone's passion for travel (sounds like a page out of my own book!).  You'll feel more like your in someones home, talking, laughing and passing plates across the table.

4 - Service is second to none
      One HUGE takeaway for me was the service.  If you are lucky enough to get Magdalena from Poland as your server, you're gunna have a devil of a time leaving the table.  She is one of the greatest human assets Princess Cruises has, and boy, were we taken care of and entertained at dinner.  She knew the menu by heart, went over it and explained several things to us, the ingredients, and also what wine best paired with each plate.

5 - You'll actually have room for dessert

After dinner I went down to the Explorers Lounge on Deck 7 to catch the comedian doing his stand up routine while other agents either hit the casino, the promenade, or the Magic to Do show, created by Broadway director Stephen Schwartz.  Later on it was over to Club Fusion for some much needed karaoke, then off to bed, for we had yet another seminar at sea in the morning.


September 21, 2016

Yet another early start, I do have to say though, those Princess Luxury Beds (even the Twin Size), they are so comfortable and cozy, the instant I laid down I was out quick, and apparently it even helped with my sleep apnea.  There are very few beds where I have slept in and not needed my CPAP machine.

This morning's seminar was on Princess' Sister Line, Cunard.  The subject was the remade and revamped Queen Mary 2, fresh out of drydock in Germany.  Funny thing is, I'll be on the Queen Mary 2 in just a few weeks, on the iconic TransAtlantic crossing, that Cunard made famous during the 19th and 20th Centuries.  After the seminar we were led on a tour of the theatre, as well as the backstage and behind the scenes areas, places regular passengers never see, where several dancers from the show told us and even showed us how they put on a show on the open seas (could you imagine trying to do a flying pirouette with the boat bobbing up and down?).

The rest of the afternoon I spent perusing the ship and outdoor areas.  Tons of photos were taken and areas explored.  Headed back to the cabin to get started on the journal for this voyage, as well as try out the Room Service.  Exceptionally service and a tasty dish was laid out and this writer went right to work...and falling asleep on the balcony in the middle of writing.

After my nap on the balcony, I took a shower and got ready for dinner in the Crown Grill, the Ruby Princess' steak and seafood restaurant.  Located on the Deck 7 Promenade, the Crown Grill is a very dark and subdued place where a carnivore can feast in peace with some of the best cuts and catches around, at an additional cost of course.  After dinner, Bob and I were amped up, so we hit up Club Fusion for a final round of karaoke before disembarkation in the morning.


September 22, 2016

Woke up to the sound of a busy port, and the balcony door wide open.  One of the better ways to wake up, if you ask me.  Bob was out on the balcony enjoying the view and his last few minutes onboard.  A knock on the door by our steward reminding us we had to be off the Ruby Princess by our appointed time, and I was up and getting ready.  45 minutes later we made our way down to the Promenade Deck and in line to disembark.

The San Pedro, California Cruise Pier shares the harbor with the massive shipping vessels and and smaller, leisurely Catalina Island ferries.  As luck would have it, we were the only cruise ship in port at the time, so customs was a snap and we found ourselves out on the taxi stand within an hour, waiting for a shuttle ride to LAX, which only took 20 minutes, in moderate traffic.

Before we knew it, we were schlepping our bags through the Delta Airlines side of Terminal 6 (the former Continental Airlines terminal), waiting for our flight back to Salt Lake City, with the company of a fellow AAA agent from the cruise, waiting for her flight back to Sacramento.

Thanks again to my bum knee, we pre-boarded before anyone else.  Our Airbus A320 was the first one delivered to Northwest Airlines back in 1991, but a recent facelift and cabin refresh made this plane surprisingly comfortable and cozy.  Mood lighting and and very attentive crew made the flight a good one, until we hit the weather heading back behind the Zion Curtain into Utah.  We got tossed around a little bit, which Bob and I thought was fun, and landed in a downpour of rain that didn't let up.  I ended up dropping Bob off at his car back at the office and off I went home, finding out tornadoes touched down in our neck of the woods.

Princess Cruises has a good thing going, and the Ruby Princess and her kind are a step above a lot of ships nowadays, and for mass markets, a great fit.  I'd love to get back onboard the Ruby Princess again someday.  The Globetrotting Adventures of Frank and Dylan continue...

Downtown Family Fun: The Chelsea Toronto

If you know my travel habits at all, you know I'm addicted to staying at Langham properties.  I rant and rave endlessly about them, much to the annoyance of coworkers and family alike.  Every stay I've had was always above and beyond exceptional.  From check-in to check-out there is never ANYTHING amiss.

That being said, let's go on.

So I had a trip to Toronto, Canada planned and was pleased to find out out there's a Langham property there, the Chelsea.  This just happens to be Toronto's largest hotel and it's most family-friendly.  So I had my stay booked.  I chose a 1-Bedroom Suite as the rate was very, very attractive.  All set, and I was stoked as I would achieve Gateway status in Langham's 1865 loyalty program. With 3 stays at a Langham within a 12 month period, you hit Gateway status, 5 stays you hit Voyager status, and if you're one of the lucky few in the top 1%, you get a special invite to the Destiny level.  You can check out the membership levels at:
https://1865.langhamhotels.com/StaticPage/EN/membership.aspx

So I finally get to Toronto, after a red-eye flight on Air Canada from Los Angeles, and my pick up told me the hotel would gladly take me as an early check in if a room was available.  Awesome, I was exhausted anyways and smelled like I needed a shower pronto. At least it didn't take too long getting downtown, even in early morning traffic.

I arrived at the hotel, schlepped my bags inside...and saw a HUGE line in the lobby.  This line would've taken a good 40 minutes to get through, and I didn't want to be the reason the lobby was cleared due to malevolent odors.  Looking around, I found the 1865 desk completely empty, so I headed over and the lovely agent there checked me in with a snap, he must have seen how haggard and horrid I looked.  Check-in wasn't bad at all, just the mandatory swiping of the credit card and issuance of keys.  He guided me to the Blue elevators and up to the 26th floor I went after a while, with a huge crowd growing in the waiting area.  Apparently these elevators take a while and more than one would be required to handle this crowd.

Finally at my room on the highest floor in the hotel, I opened up and came to a very clean, organized and well laid out living room and kitchen.  Not bad at all!  The bedroom was a pure white, well appointed space with a great big Queen bed that perfectly sleeps two.  The living room was spacious and laid out with plenty of seating options including sofa that pulls out into a Queen bed (perfect for any kids).

One of the coolest (no pun intended) things about this hotel is the kid zone and family pool area.  As far as I know, no other Langham property has something like this.  The kid zone has something for all ages, from the Club 33 arcade and game room for teens to the artistically educational Kid Centre for the younger crowd, complete with two furry mascots, Marbles and Thumper, the Chelsea's resident bunnies.  The big thing here though is Toronto's only corkscrew water slide INSIDE a hotel, which can be seen from the Walton St. entrance to the hotel.


Another plus to the Chelsea is that it is centrally located in downtown Toronto, within footsteps of most everything, including the landmark CN Tower, the Eaton Center, and Queen Street and its plethora of retail shops and eateries (don't forget to have brunch in the Senator Restaurant, with their killer French Toast).

Some of the downers of the hotel, though, shouldn't have been in the first place.  The property is in bad need of renovation.  Walking around most of the floors I saw threadbare carpeting, electrical panels wide open, incredibly dark hallways with little lighting, the elevators that take forever and stop at every floor, regardless if there is anyone waiting or not, and certain staff members that could care less if there were guests to assist.

These problems aside, I have no problem booking guests here, nor staying myself again.  You just have to remember this property is to the Langham as what the Hometown Suites is to Marriott.  A great place for the entire family, decent sized rooms, awesome location, and one of the best kids' areas I've seen at ANY hotel anywhere, complete with two happy rabbits bouncing around.

 *photos courtesy of the Chelsea Toronto

Aloha a mahalo i keia kipa ' ana mai (Aloha, and welcome aboard)

Hawaiian Airlines and its Intra-Island flights are nothing new.  In fact, you might be surprised as to why I'm writing about such a short segment, but, I have to say, since Hawaiian came out of bankruptcy and refurbished and streamlined the interiors of the Boeing 717 fleet, it was one of the most pleasant island hopping flights I've had in a long time.

I had arrived into Honolulu on Delta's nonstop from Salt Lake City around 2:30PM local time and had a while to wait for my connection to Maui.  Stepping off the artificially air conditioned Boeing 767-300 into the Pacific heat and humidity (in a suit no less!), was a shock to my system.  Maybe I'm getting to old to be doing flights like these anymore, I don't know.  Luckily, I didn't have a long walk from Gate 22 to the top of the concourse.

The airport itself is laid out in a weird fashion, with enclosed, air conditioned gate areas attached together by open air breezeways.  Going back and forth between the Mainland US departure gates and the Inter-Island gates is a simple, if not long trek, but if you need to head back to the mainland gates you do have to have your bags scanned for any agricultural contraband that shouldn't be taken off the islands.

My flight to Kahului, Maui was leaving out of Gate 55.  I had about 5 hours to wait, so I parked my carcass and watched the ramp activity and wandered around some.  Walking the span of the Intra-Island concourse I then headed back out to the open air breezeway and ducked into the older Ewa Concourse where Hawaiian's longer Airbus A330 and Boeing 767 operated flights depart from.

7:30 finally rolled by and I was welcomed aboard Hawaiian's flight 556, that night being operated by N478HA, delivered in May 2001.  For a 15 year old airplane, the new interior Hawaiian installed looked fabulous and clean, and definitely delivered an island vibe.  The 717 is the final version of the venerable Douglas DC-9 twin jet, and has a very comfortable 2x3 seating arrangement inside. I was fortunate enough to snag seat 12A, on the 2-seat side, and settled in for the quick hop.


This is where I was blown away.

On this short hop, the flight attendants got busy with their service, and in less than 20 minutes, and with a smile, they managed to make every last passenger on board feel like they were in their own living room.  You try a 30 minute hop anywhere in the lower 48, and you'll be lucky to get coffee spilled on you with a scowl.  On Hawaiian, they managed to serve us macadamias and pineapple along with the ever present and refreshing Passion-Orange Nectar.

Landing in Maui you could feel the 717's BMW designed engines and their reverse thrust kick in and slow us down just about halfway down the runway.  Getting off the plane was simple and quick since we had a light load and I was hauling down the concourse to meet my Delta flight back to LAX, leaving in 20 minutes!

Before this trip, Hawaii was never really on my list of destinations, but I honestly wouldn't mind going back, even if just to hop on another Island Hopper, then back to the mainland.

A Most Surprising Desert Oasis

"Yes, there really is a city, it's called Wendover, and it's in Nevada...how did you miss it?"  - Lewis Black

This has to be one of the most surprising hotel stays I've ever had.  Normally, when I do go to Wendover, it's usually on a day off when I have nothing else to do and am jonesing to get out of the State of Utah without driving to Idaho or make the trek down to Las Vegas, nor do I have a plane ticket to anywhere.

The trek through the high desert of Northern Utah brought me to the Montego Bay Resort just before check-in, but they had rooms ready to go.  Check-in was a breeze, as it's not that complicated, especially since I was on using a Player's Club comp (If you have a chance and come out semi frequently, sign up for it, its easy to rack up the points).

My room was on the 5th floor, and upon entrance I was blown away by its size, the spaciousness, the layout, and how open it is.  Once you enter, the spacious and large bathroom is on one side, and does not disappoint.  In fact, it could beat anything offered up by Marriott or Starwood, or even MGM Grand International.  I'm a stickler for big spacious bathrooms (even though I love world travel, the hotel bathrooms back home in Greece are ridiculously small), and love the space for my 6'1" frame.

Coming in at 375 square feet or so, these rooms with the double King Beds are amazing (have I said that enough yet?).  Room for luggage stowing without tripping over it constantly, the King beds are super plush and comfortable, and I suffer from sleep apnea, these are one of the few hotel beds I have ever slept comfortably and all night without my apnea waking me up.

About the only negative I have for the Montego Bay is lack of room service, but hey, who's there to sleep at night and hang out in their room writing a travel blog?

Thanks for reading!

If you're coming in fourth, you're not winning: Saving United Airlines from itself

These last few days have been eye openers for a lot of my airline folk, both at the merged United Continental, and from outside.  Looking back through United's history and the lackluster oversight by its Board of Directors, it's easy to see where it started going wrong.

United's problems didnt happen overnight.  No, we're talking about 4 decades of bad vibes.  From around the time of deregulation, when then-CEO Dick Ferris was touting it, and then trying to reform United and its travel subsidiaries into one travel conglomerate (anyone remember Allegis?), to the god awful Employee Stock Ownership Plan and Stephen Wolf, to a record breaking bankruptcy in 2004, and to the badly executed merger with far better rival Continental Airlines, and finally, to lackluster post merger results and bribery charges against several senior executives.  United has had one bad CEO after another, all selected by the "country club" elitists on the board of Directors.  Major executives from all walks of life, even Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong served on the Board.

Most recently, there is some turbulence amongst various Board members and several institutional shareholders.  Two hedge funds in particular ( PAR and Altimeter, who control roughly 7% of the stock) have called for a Board shakeup to include people from the airline industry, and Gordon Bethune, savior of Continental Airlines and a former boss and mentor of mine, in the lead particularly.

This in itself is not a bad idea.  United's Board of Directors as it stands right now only has two members that know anything about the airline industry in general, Robert Milton from ACE Aviation Holdings, and who ran Air Canada for a long period, and Carolyn Corvi of Boeing.  Adding Gordon Bethune and Jim Whitehurst (formerly of Delta Air Lines) to the mix will most certainly shake things up and keep Oscar Munoz aimed right for the top of the industry.

In my opinion, and from what I've read, having Gordon, Jim, and Robert on the Board to steer Oscar the right way, while allowing him to instill his own brand of ideas and concepts to the table, and implementing them correctly.  As Gordon himself has stated, hes not going to be on the Board to criticize and go after Oscar Munoz' job.  He's there to guide him and teach him the ins and outs of the airline industry, and United in particular.  I honestly think Munoz will have a hell of a team behind him both at the Board level and the thousands of folks on the day to day front lines of United Continental.  I wish him the best of luck, and who knows, maybe I'll set foot on a United plane again because of the changes than may come in the future.